Chapter 5 Shangyi Bureau, Outer Office III
The selection process in the main hall ended quickly.
Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, a boy of fourteen or fifteen followed the Grand Master's carriage and immediately entered the palace without a moment's pause.
Shinju missed him by a hair's breadth and didn't see him, but he found his own group and limped to the back. The others were startled when they first saw him. Many of them had been waiting to see him make a fool of himself, but now even the most eager-to-laugh people couldn't bring themselves to do so.
The reason is that Masakatsu looked really bad. His clothes were tattered and torn, and occasionally you could see glimpses of white against the reddish-brown bloodstains. The stark contrast made his injuries look even more shocking.
No one knew how Shinju had managed this, but in such a rare occasion, he was the only one absent. To say there wasn't a conspiracy involved would be utterly unbelievable. Moreover, someone else had truly reaped the rewards, so compared to Shinju, they now loathed the lucky one chosen by the Lord of the Seals, and felt more sympathy and pity for Shinju.
Shinjuku hung his head, silent, and after a few unsteady steps, finally returned to his resting room. Shinjuku slowly lay down on the bed, radiating an aura of collapse that screamed, "I need some peace and quiet."
Although the people in his room were not close to him, they all came forward to offer their condolences or to help him this time.
Shinjuku shrugged, shook his head, and said nothing.
After all, he was just acting.
Since the disrespect for the seal of authority was already a fact, if he didn't show that he had been punished, who knew if he would be used as an excuse to pursue the matter later? Besides, playing the victim would also be more beneficial to his subsequent plans. So he bled Tie Laolu's blood and smeared it on his own back. This kind of superficial bloodstain would easily come off, so it was not advisable for anyone to get too close to him.
Shinjuku pondered that once the onlookers had had their fill of the spectacle, he would change into a different set of clothes to cover his back completely.
During this time, several furtive figures appeared outside the door, pretending to be looking for something as they went in and out of the room. They would then take the opportunity to peek at the person lying on the bed. After hearing someone outside shout "Found it!", they would hurriedly leave.
Shinjuku buried his face in his right arm, a smile playing on his lips, and focused his hearing to the maximum, concentrating it all on one of them.
Then they heard this person and the other two turn left and right in the mansion, walk for a while, and then go to a slightly remote and secluded place, where they started chatting.
"How stupid! They had to force that old man Lu to make a move before they would accept their fate. Otherwise, they wouldn't have ended up in that state."
"She's been castrated, surely this isn't her first time? Who's she trying to fool with her chastity? She's probably just scared off by Tie Laolu's ugly face."
"Haha, most likely!"
"I gave him all the good stuff, that lecherous guy is really useless. He didn't even kill him, and he got it for free for that slut. I get annoyed just looking at his face."
"In any case, Lord Lin has given his instructions. Not to mention the palace, there is absolutely no place for this person to stay, not even in this outer prefecture."
Having endured the malicious and foul language all the way, Masaya finally managed to catch an important piece of information. He was about to listen carefully when, unexpectedly, his five senses failed him!
Shinjuku couldn't hear what happened next, so he didn't know what these people were talking about, nor did he know that their uncontrollable laughter rose up and carried beyond the wall.
A figure in a light blue robe stood against the wall, her thin lips parted slightly, “Many people have the heart of a beast; how many can truly recognize it?” [1]
Before long, the figure gracefully disappeared into the distance, only startling a few scattered flowers and leaves.
...
As night fell, classes resumed in the training hall. Although others advised that he could ask for leave on their behalf and not have to go, Masakyu still went.
Taking advantage of a break, Masakuni privately sought out the instructor to speak, but the instructor looked impatient, with a hint of anger in his eyes, and told Masakuni to go away, "If you're injured, just rest properly. What's the use of being anxious for a moment? Can you be anxious for a lifetime?"
Masakatsu bowed calmly and replied, "I know I have disappointed you, but I did not come here for myself tonight. I came to clean up the atmosphere in this outer prefecture. I do not want to see some scoundrels stirring up trouble behind your back and ultimately implicating you. If such sordid matters are not cleaned up, I fear they will soon be upon us, and we will miss the best opportunity."
The tutor remained unmoved, his face as cold as frost. "Sweeping and cleaning is not our responsibility. Why don't you go find the steward?"
"I think that Lord Lin's overreaching is probably not what the Chief Seal Officer would like to see."
As soon as Shinju said this, the instructor's eagle eyes narrowed, and he glared sharply at Shinju, as if trying to find a flaw in Shinju's expression.
Shinju had his eyes downcast, making it difficult to see the color in his eyes, so the instructor could only wait for him to continue.
However, Shinjuku could say no more about this matter; it was just a little trick he used to see if he could use the name to trick people out of the inside story.
Perhaps it was Masakatsu's silence that made the eunuch instructor unsure whether he could truly remain calm. After a long while, the eunuch instructor finally looked at him properly and took Masakatsu back to the library to have a detailed talk with him.
Shinjuku stepped forward to catch up.
"I thought today's events would ruin your reputation, but I didn't expect it was me who was so anxious, making a decision too early." The eunuch instructor chuckled, shaking his head, a hint of admiration in his hawk-like eyes. Such a setback shouldn't make this young man give up, while he himself was short-sighted to abandon him just because he fell for his trick so easily and lost a reward.
A glint of light flashed in Shinju's eyes; he knew he had guessed correctly.
He learned from Tie Laolu who was behind it all: several menial servants from the outer palace. They had originally been candidates for eunuchs, but due to their poor performance in the examinations, they had no hope of entering the palace and had ended up doing menial work. The difference between being inside the palace and outside was like heaven and earth, and they naturally resented those who could enter the palace as eunuchs.
But how could a few wicked servants dare to kill the chosen ones so easily? Minor beatings would be understandable, but this punishment was carried out under the name of the Grand Master, which is truly outrageous. Therefore, Shinju thought that they were probably instructed by someone in the palace.
This person is most likely the Lord Lin mentioned by the servants.
The reason why Shinju didn't go to the manager was because the manager was involved in this matter. Even if the manager wasn't involved, the manager would be the first to be held accountable. If the manager only cared about protecting himself, Shinju would most likely not be able to get any help and would instead get himself into trouble.
It was precisely because this matter was not within the instructor's purview that Masakuni chose him.
As expected, the other party fell into deep thought, clearly interested in his proposal.
After chatting for a while, the tutor said, "I can help you with this. As for the outcome, Lord Pan will decide." This time, not only could he show off in front of the Grand Master, but he could also use this opportunity to recommend the boy again, and the reward money would probably fall back into his pocket...
“A talent like yours shouldn’t be wasted here. The palace is where you can truly shine.” The eunuch patted Shinju’s shoulder forcefully, but stopped abruptly upon hearing a soft exclamation from the other. He hurriedly said, “Wait a moment, Physician Zhao happens to be making house calls at the manor. I’ll go and fetch him.”
"...Uh." Shinjuku only wanted to make his injury look more convincing, he couldn't actually have a doctor come and said there was no need to trouble himself, but the instructor had already sent someone to invite him.
A moment later, a young man strode into the library. He had delicate features and a slender build. He wore a snow-white crown with a blue peacock feather, a light green robe embroidered with a white pheasant, and bamboo-leaf silver-threaded shoes. Two thin, intertwined braids adorned his temples, swaying gently with his steps, giving him a refined and handsome appearance.
If it weren't for the medicine box the visitor was carrying, Shinju would have found it hard to associate this "refined gentleman" with the imperial physician he remembered; he would have thought that a whisk was more suitable for him.
Physician Zhao's gaze fell directly on Masakatsu's face. Masakatsu guessed that the other party had already begun to examine him by observation, so he quickly blinked twice and quietly avoided the other party's gaze.
Little did he know, the other person stared at him for several dozen breaths. Just as Shinju was about to look up, the other person seemed to be startled awake and immediately asked Shinju, "Where are you injured?"
Physician Zhao's voice was as rhythmic as rain pattering on lotus leaves, clear, gentle, and elegant. Listening to it felt like leaning against a cloud pillow, making one want to relax and fall asleep.
Shinju pointed his teeth and said dismissively, "I've already applied medicine to my back, it's not a big problem, no need for the imperial physician to examine me."
The tutor stood aside, looking unconvinced, but he thought that Physician Zhao would insist on examining him with his own eyes, so he didn't say anything. Unexpectedly, Physician Zhao seemed to have accepted Masakatsu's statement completely, and said that he would take his pulse.
Masakatsu was reluctant, but fearing that refusing again would offend the eunuch, he eventually handed his wrist over to Physician Zhao.
The young man's fingertip remained on his pulse for a breath, several breaths, and dozens of breaths, without letting go.
Zhen Su pondered whether his pulse was different from that of ordinary people, and his golden eyes darkened slightly as he asked, "Imperial Physician Zhao, is there something wrong with my pulse?"
Physician Zhao's long eyelashes twitched, and he immediately withdrew his fingertips from Zhen Su's wrist, silently straightening his sleeves. "Forgive my lack of skill; there is one pulse I do not understand. I am truly ashamed before my teacher. Please allow me to go back and consult medical books. I will take your pulse again tomorrow. Would that be convenient?"
Incompetent? The eunuch instructor's face twitched, and he almost lost his composure. If even he, the top imperial physician, was considered incompetent, then there were probably no useful doctors in the entire Nian Kingdom.
Shinju glanced at the strange expression on the instructor's face and felt that something was off, but he didn't think much of it and nodded, "Then I thank you in advance, Lord Zhao."
Suddenly, Physician Zhao took out a porcelain bottle from his medicine box and handed it to Zhen Su, saying, "This will help the wound on your back heal faster."
Shinju took the bottle and saw that it contained wound medicine, which was quite valuable. However, Shinju was short of money and had no use for the medicine, so he returned the bottle.
Physician Zhao took the porcelain bottle from Zhen Su's hand. He didn't try to persuade him again, but he didn't put it in his medicine box either. As if he had forgotten, he held the slightly warm bottle in his hand with his fingertips.
Before long, Shinju felt that his five senses were about to fail, so he found an excuse and quickly made a getaway.
The next day, before dawn, Physician Zhao was summoned back to the palace and did not examine Masatsu's pulse again, which secretly relieved Masatsu.
The eunuch was efficient and quick; within a few days, he secured a spot for Shinju to enter the palace. The wicked servants who had been secretly manipulated by Lord Lin were thrown into the torture chamber. As for what became of Lord Lin in the palace, the eunuch didn't tell him.
He simply said, "Prepare your things, and someone will come to fetch you to the palace tomorrow."
"Yes. I will always remember your kindness, Master." Master bowed deeply.
"Alright, alright, go back now." The instructor seemed inexplicably reluctant to leave, turned his back, and grasped the ruler with trembling hands.
.
Inside the torture chamber.
"Old Tie Lu, why aren't you punished! You've been working for Lord Lin all these years, just like us!" One of the wicked servants, with his collarbone pierced and hanging on the wall, his face contorted with pain or resentment, struggled to question Old Tie Lu, who was facing away from him.
"Good question. I don't know either. Perhaps Lord Lin is too busy to think of someone as insignificant as me." Tie Laolu said nonchalantly, tightly wrapping the fine cloth around his left hand to suppress the slight bleeding underneath.
"You've become a traitor! Do you think you have many days left to live?!" The other two wicked servants had boiling water splashed on their chests, and then they were pressed together on the stone bed, chest to chest and face to face. Their skin and flesh were stuck together, and they were both in pain, grimacing and unable to breathe, but they still tried their best to curse Tie Laolu.
Tie Laolu grinned cruelly, his face contorted as if a maggot had coiled up inside him. He said, "If I live one more day than you, I win."
Later, the shouts and curses gradually blended into the clanging of the torture instruments.
A note from the author:
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[1] From “Choosing a Friend” by Meng Jiao.
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